Drug Delivery
Combining Science and Technology to create Advanced Drug Delivery Systems
Our mission
Modern drug delivery research and development is a truly multidisciplinary approach and must combine all relevant scientific, technical and regulatory aspects required for the design, preparation, testing, manufacturing and registration of drug delivery systems and their components.
It is the mission of our Focus Group to foster and promote all aspects of research and development required to transform drug molecules into safe, effective and convenient drug delivery systems which provide therapeutic benefit to the patient.
The relevance of drug delivery
Within the pharmaceutical industry, drug delivery has gained increasing importance over the past decade or two. In fact, it is estimated that at least 10-20 % of all pharmaceutical products presently under development use advanced dosage form designs or incorporate formulation techniques which were only conceptual 30 years ago. Drug delivery technologies are particularly relevant in the life cycle management of proprietary drugs and in the development of new compounds which are difficult to formulate.
Today, even small and mediumsize pharmaceutical companies, whether focussed on proprietary or generic compounds, need knowhow and access to expertise on novel dosage forms and formulation techniques for compounds with problematic physicochemical properties, such as low solubility. In order to successfully compete in an increasingly complex market, the potential of state-of-the-art dosage form designs and delivery technologies must be made fully available to their product development programs.
- Novel dosage form designs & therapeutic systems
- Formulation techniques for "problem" drugs
- Optimising the route of administration
- Delivery of biological / macromolecular drugs
- QA/CMC aspects of drug delivery products
- Regulatory issues in drug delivery
- Life cycle management using drug delivery
- Optimising drug therapy for special populations (infants, seniors etc.)
- Technology evaluation and due diligence
- Technology transfer & collaboration project management
- Intellectual property aspects in drug delivery
Our focus is on industrial applicability
We have decided to adopt a clear focus on those aspects of drug delivery which seem relevant and applicable to pharmaceutical product development today or in the near future.
Our activities
- Identification and discussion of hot topics in drug delivery
- Organisation of seminars and workshops on drug delivery topics
- Contributing to major conferences and symposia organised by the APV
- Building of an expert network and making it accessible to the APV members
